Unionized resident doctors and fellows at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have ratified their first contract after nearly a year of negotiations.
The first-year resident salary at Beth Israel Deaconess was $76,680 before the union formed in 2025. Under the new deal, first-years will make $92,929, representing an 8 percent increase plus a $10,000 annual stipend. Base salaries will increase 2.5 percent on June 30, 2027, and another 2.5 percent on June 30, 2028.
The agreement also includes reimbursement for required medical licensing exams and 12 weeks of parental leave, among other benefits. It applies to more than 800 doctors represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, a part of the Service Employees International Union.
The contract, which still has to be approved by hospital leaders, will expire in 2029.
“This fair contract is about more than improved working conditions,” said Dr. Kevin Makhoul, a psychiatry resident and bargaining committee member. “It is about strengthening patient care and demonstrating what is possible when physicians stand together.”
Sarah Finlaw, spokesperson for Beth Israel Deaconess’s parent system Beth Israel Lahey Health, said in a statement that the agreement reflects a shared commitment to providing top-notch patient care.
“Our physicians are an essential part of the BIDMC care team, and we look forward to continuing our work together to support their success and the patients we serve,” Finlaw said.
The health system, the second-largest in the state after Mass General Brigham, has grown dramatically in recent years, now employing 42,000 people and spanning more than a dozen hospital campuses and other facilities. The system is also deeply entrenched in Boston’s ongoing battle over cancer care, as it prepares to partner with Dana-Farber following the storied cancer institute’s breakup with MGB.
Beth Israel anesthesia resident Dr. Matt Sparling said he has already felt the pressure of the hospital’s recent growth.
“[Beth Israel Deaconess] management is asking residents to absorb additional clinical responsibilities without corresponding compensation or support,” Sparling said. “They are changing our working conditions to accommodate expansion needs and attempting to justify the escalation as an educational opportunity.”
The Beth Israel union is the latest group of residents in the Boston area to secure a contract amid a nationwide push to increase protections for doctors who work long hours for relatively little pay as they complete their medical training.
Around 2,600 residents and fellows at MGB approved their first union contract in May 2025, increasing wages by 7.5 percent over the three-year deal.
At Boston Medical Center, about 750 residents and fellows are currently negotiating a new contract to replace one that expired on June 30.
Meanwhile, unionized nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and unionized providers at MGB Home Care plan to strike beginning July 8 over stalled contract negotiations. The Brigham nurses authorized a one-day walkout, but will not be allowed to return to the hospital for another four days, as the hospital is contractually obligated to provide temporary nursing staff with five days of work. MGB Home Care clinicians will strike for seven days, ending July 15.
Marin Wolf can be reached at marin.wolf@globe.com.